ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Penal Provisions for Violation of Reservation in Promotion
The Central Government officers/officials are governed by Central Civil Services  Rules, 1964 and Central Civil Services  Rules, 1965 which have adequate provision to deal with the officers/officials who violate the policy guidelines issued by the Central Government. The Government has issued guidelines from time to time to all Ministries/Departments to strictly observe the reservation policy and other orders relating to representation of reserved categories. Instructions provide that cases of negligence or lapse in the matter of following reservation and other orders relating to the reserved category should be viewed seriously and be brought to the notice of appropriate authorities and suitable action be taken promptly. As per the guidelines dated 04.01.2013, all Ministries/Departments are required to appoint/nominate Liaison officers at least of the rank of Deputy Secretary and setting up of special Reservation Cell for enforcement of orders of reservation in posts and services of the Central Government.
The DoPT monitors the progress in filling up of backlog vacancies for SCs, STs and OBCs with ten Ministries/Departments, having more than 90% of the employees in Central Government. Out of these Ministries/Departments, six Ministries/Departments have informed that as on 01.01.2018, 7782 backlog vacancies for SCs, 6903 backlog vacancies for STs and 10859 backlog vacancies for OBCs remained unfilled. Besides the above six, three more Ministries/Departments have informed that as on 01.01.2019, 1713 backlog vacancies for SCs, 2530 backlog vacancies for STs and 1773 backlog vacancies for STs remained unfilled.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State  Development of North-Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Special Service and Features
National Science Day celebration at Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur
National Science Day was celebrated today  at Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur, Tirupathur District, which is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
A day-long celebration of Science day was held at Vainu Bappu Observatory with students from 16 Panchayat Union Middle Schools located near Kavalur village. Drawings, quizzes, and debates were among the inter-school competitions organized by the observatory, followed by a public talk by Shri P. K. Mahesh, former head of the Systems Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. The Block Education Officer , Smt C. Chitra, stressed the importance of protecting the environment and commended the observatory's efforts in bringing science awareness to the local students. Prizes were distributed to participants and winners. The visitors were taken on a tour of the various telescopes in the observatory, following which, a night sky viewing sessions was organised through the smaller telescopes in the observatory.
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Ministry of Science & Technology
CSIR identifies top 25 drugs/drug candidates for repurposing
Favipiravir a broad spectrum inhibitor of viral RNA polymerase emerges as one of the most promising drugs
CSIR-IICT, based in Hyderabad, develops a convenient and cost effective synthetic process for Favipiravir
CSIR has been leading the fight against Covid19 epidemic on multiple fronts, with major emphasis on repurposed drugs as they can be quickly deployed for treatment as opposed to new drugs which need almost a decade of development. Globally many drugs are under clinical trials on Coronavirus patients to establish their efficacy against Covid19.
Towards providing drugs for Coronavirus patients in India, CSIR has identified the top 25 drugs/drug candidates for repurposing. Among these top 25 drugs, Favipiravir a broad spectrum inhibitor of viral RNA polymerase has emerged as of one of the most promising drugs. Favipiravir was developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Ltd.,and is an approved treatment for common influenza and is marketed in Russia, China and Japan.
CSIR-IICT, based in Hyderabad has developed a convenient and costeffective synthetic process for Favipiravir. As a collaborative effort with industry, CSIR-IICT transferred the entire process and significant quantities of pharma grade API of Favipiravir to Cipla a leading pharmaceutical company. Cipla will be conducting the investigations prior to launching on this drug against Covid-19 in India. Cipla approached regulatory authority DCGI for approval for Favipiravir to be launched in India. Favipiravir is a generic drug and already being used for treatment of influenza and also is in clinical trials for Covid-19 in many countries such as in China, Japan and Italy. Under the auspices of ICMR, Cipla will conduct a suitable limited trial prior to marketing the product as Ciplenza.
CSIR and Cipla have a long history of working together for affordable drugs in India and globally. Many of the technologies for HIV generic drugs were established at CSIR labs and Cipla was successful in providing affordable treatment to HIV patients worldwide which led to saving of millions of lives. They have assured the government that they will do same for Favirpiravir.
#CSIRFightsCovid19
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Last living member of the Rani Jhansi regiment Rama Khandwala attends MIFF for the screening of Elephants Do Remember
MIFF 2020 witnessed an iconic moment when an ex-member of the Azad Hind Fauj and the last living member of the Rani Jhansi regiment, Rama Khandwala attended the screening of Elephants Do Remember.
Elephants Do Remember is a documentary released in 2019 based on the life of 94 year old Rama Khandwala, who joined the Rani Jhansi Regiment of Indian National Army at the age of 17. "I was always inspired by the speeches of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. I belonged to a rich household and my grandfather was close friends with Mahatma Gandhi", she said.
She further added, "At first, it was difficult because our training was no different from the sepoys but later every girl grew into it and loved being a part of it. Netaji always asked us to keep moving forward and today, wherever I am is because of him. I have never met a leader as great as Netaji ".
Filmmakers Swati Pandey, Viplove Rai Bhatia and Manohar Singh Bisht were also present and spoke about the making of the film. "Due to her experience at the regiment and working with Netaji, Rama became avid in Japanese which later helped her become a travel guide for Japanese tourists in Mumbai, “ said Swati.
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Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Corporate Affairs Ministry Launches Independent Director’s Databank
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, with the objective of strengthening the institution of Independent Directors under the Companies Act, launched today the Independent Director’s Databank in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and the rules made thereunder.
The Databank, which was launched by Shri Injeti Srinivas, Secretary Ministry of Corporate Affairs, can be accessed at www.mca.gov.in or www.independentdirectorsdatabank.in, is a pioneering initiative of the Ministry to provide an easy to access & navigate platform for the registration of existing Independent Directors as well as individuals aspiring to become independent directors.
Powered by an Integrated Learning Management System, the various e-learning capsules and videos available in the system will enable Individual users to easily acquire knowledge from diverse resources, develop distinct skills and assess their understanding on company operations, regulations and compliances. Companies also may register themselves with the databank to search, select and connect with individuals who possess the right skills and attitude for being considered for appointment as Independent Directors as the Databank is expected to become a comprehensive repository of both existing independent directors as well as individuals eligible and willing to be appointed as Independent Directors.
The Databank portal which has been developed and will be maintained by the Indian Institute for Corporate Affairs , is a first of its kind initiative from the Ministry. It provides for a wide array of e-learning courses on various topics including the Companies Act, Securities laws, basic accountancy, board practices, board ethics and board effectiveness. A number of value added services are expected to be rolled out through the portal for capacity building of Independent Directors.
As per the notified rules, all existing Independent Directors are required to register themselves in the databank within 3 months from 01 December 2019.
They are also required to pass a basic online proficiency self-assessment test which will available from March 2020 onwards within 12 months thereafter. In order to provide sufficient practice to individuals, a number of online mock Tests have also been made available in the system. The real test can be taken online through a simple scheduling process. The real test would be remotely proctored.
The registration process has been specifically designed to be quick and simple and has been divided into three simple steps:
- Log in through the user account on the Website of the Ministry
- Upon log in the user will be directed to the Databank
- Choose one of the Subscription Plans to access the e-learning and the e-proficiency assessment modules
On the occasion, a publication named “Independent Directors Databank-Handbook covering key objectives, empanelment/registration process of individual or corporate and the knowledge resources available on the portal was also released.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM's Statement prior to his departure to Maldives
Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi's departure statement prior to his visit to Maldives
“I am delighted to visit Malé, the capital of the Republic of Maldives, our close and friendly neighbour, to attend the historic Inauguration Ceremony of President-elect H.E. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
I warmly congratulate him on his victory in the recent elections. It represents the collective aspirations of the people of the Republic of Maldives for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future.
India and The Maldives share a strong partnership rooted in history, strong bonds between our peoples, and their shared aspiration for peace and prosperity. My Government's vision of inclusive development 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' extends to all our neighbours too. We in India strongly desire to see a democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives.
I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr. Solih the desire of my Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity and human resource development.
I am confident that my visit will herald a new era of even closer exchanges and cooperation between our two countries”.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala held a bilateral meeting with Damien O Connor, Minister of Trade & Export Growth/ Minister of Agriculture, New Zealand today
Potential areas of bilateral cooperation including epidemiology, animal disease management, on-farm biosecurity, and animal traceability were discussed
Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala held a bilateral meeting with Damien O Connor, Minister of Trade & Export Growth/ Minister of Agriculture, New Zealand today.
The two sides had a fruitful discussion on potential areas of bilateral cooperation including epidemiology, animal disease management, on-farm biosecurity, and animal traceability, etc. The two sides also discussed the possibility of signing a Joint Declaration of Intent between the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and the Ministry for Primary Industries, Government of New Zealand.
Ministry of Defence
BEL Registers 35% Growth in 2nd Quarter of FY 2018-19
Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited  has during the second quarter of FY 2018-19, achieved a robust growth in turnover and consequently recorded a healthy growth in profit as compared to the 1stquarter of current year and corresponding quarter of the previous year.
The company has achieved a turnover of Rs. 3282.40 crore, during the 2ndquarter of FY 2018-19, registering a growth of about 35 %, over the turnover of Rs. 2431.73 crore recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Profit After Tax  during the 2nd quarter of FY 2018-19 stood at Rs. 571.31 crore, registering a growth of about 39 % over the Profit After Tax  of Rs. 412.39 crore recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Performance for Six months’ period
BEL has achieved a turnover of Rs. 5360.24 crore, up to first half of the FY 2018-19, registering a growth of about 27 % over the turnover of Rs. 4204.56 crore recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Profit After Tax  for the First half of FY 2018-19 stood at Rs. 751.04 crore, registering a growth of about 40% over the Profit After Tax  of Rs. 537.71 crore recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The company received new orders worth Rs 14338 crore during the first half of the current year and the order book position of the company as on October 01, 2018 stood at Rs. 48995 crore.
Nampi/Rajib
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Ministry of Women and Child Development
NATIONAL SURVEY ON CHILD NUTRITION
Government has been receiving regular reports from the States on the prevailing scenario and activities undertaken during Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, all Anganwadi Centres across the country were closed to limit the impact of the pandemic. However, to ensure continuous nutritional support to the beneficiaries, the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers distributed Supplementary Nutrition at the doorsteps of beneficiaries once in 15 days. In addition, they also assisted the local administration in community surveillance, creating awareness as well as other work assigned to them from time to time.
The data on nutritional indicators is captured under the National Family Health Surveys  conducted periodically by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. In NFHS-5 survey conducted in 2019-21 nutrition indicators for children under 5 years have shown improvement. Stunting has reduced from 38.4% to 35.5%, Wasting has reduced from 21.0% to 19.3% and Underweight prevalence has reduced from 35.8% to 32.1% as compared with NFHS-4 conducted in 2015-16
As per information received from States/UTs, Anganwadi services have been opened in most States/UTs. Government has taken measures to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition. Steps have also been taken to improve nutritional quality and testing, strengthen delivery and leverage technology under Poshan Tracker to improve governance. Government has advised States/UTs to ensure that the quality of supplementary nutrition conforms to prescribed standards laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and regulations made there under. States/UTs have also been advised to promote use of AYUSH systems for prevention of malnutrition and related diseases. A program to support development of Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi Centers to meet dietary diversity gap leveraging traditional knowledge in nutritional practices has also been taken up. Guidelines were issued for transparency and accountability in delivery of supplementary nutrition and to track nutritional outcomes on 13.01.2021.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation
Ganga Gram Project to be launched at Swachhta Sammelan tomorrow
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is holding a multi-stakeholder meet on 23rd December at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi to formally launch the Ganga Gram Project under the Namami Gange Programme, for holistic sanitation development in villages on the banks of River Ganga.
In August 2017, with active cooperation with the five Ganga States , the Ministry declared all 4,470 Ganga Grams Open Defecation Free . The Ministry is the nodal Ministry for the Government’s flagship programme, Swachh Bharat Mission. Since the launch of Mission in October 2014, the Ministry has constructed 5.2 crore toilets and has made 2.95 lakh villages, 260 districts, 6 States and 2 Union Territories, open defecation free.
Subsequent to making all Ganga Bank villages ODF, the Ministry and State Governments identified 24 villages to be taken up as a pilot project to transform them into Ganga Grams. They will set the bench mark of cleanliness and integrated effort of development. These will be converted into Ganga Grams by 31st December 2018.
Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of River Ganga with active participation of the villagers. The objectives of Ganga Gram Project include solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds and water resources, water conservation projects, organic farming, horticulture, and promotion of medicinal plants.
An Advisory Board has been created as a policy framing and decision-making body under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister for Drinking Water and sanitation. Another Committee has been constituted as Project Committee for project supervision, implementation and co-ordination.
Ganga Swachhata Manch, a forum of individuals, academicians, civil society organisations and the like, which has been formed upon the initiative of Hon’ble Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation will also be launched tomorrow. This Manch has been created for awareness creation, knowledge sharing, learning and advocacy for the Ganga Gram Project.
The Ganga Gram Swachhta Sammelan will be presided over by the Hon’ble Minister MDWS, Sushri Uma Bharati. Shri Nitin Gadkari , Hon’ble Minister for Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development will be the chief guest and Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will be the Guest of Honour. The sammelan will be attended by about 1200 delegates including 500 village sarpanches from Ganga States, State and District government officials, NMCG Members and Ganga Swachhta Manch volunteers.
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Ministry of Finance
Budget proposes Qualitative Strengthening of 15,000 Schools to include all components of National Education Policy
100 New Sainik Schools to be set up in partnership with NGOs/Private Schools/ States
Higher Education Commission of India proposed for Standard Setting, Accreditation, Regulation and Funding
Central University to be set up in Ladakh
More than 15,000 schools to include all components of the National Education Policy will be qualitatively strengthened; to enable them to emerge as exemplar schools in their regions, handhold and mentor other schools to achieve the ideals Policy. This was stated by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the budget 2021-22 in Parliament today. She also stated that 100 new Sainik Schools will be setup in partnership with NGOs/private schools/states.
Higher education
The Finance Minister also proposed to set up a Higher Education Commission of India as an umbrella body having 4 separate vehicles for standard setting, accreditation, regulation, and funding.
“Many of our cities have various research institutions, universities, and colleges supported by the Government of India. Hyderabad for example, has about 40 such major institutions. In 9 such cities, we will create formal umbrella structures so that these institutes can have better synergy, while also retaining their autonomy. A glue grant will be set aside for this purpose”, said Smt. Sitharaman.
Central University in Leh
She also proposed to set up a Central University in Leh for accessible higher education in Ladakh.
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Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio calls on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed a wide range of State related issues ranging from development to placement of All India Services officers
Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio called on Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed a wide range of State related issues ranging from development to placement of All India Services officers.
Neiphiu Rio appreciated Dr Jitendra Singh’s keen interest and focus on development of Northeast and said that the people of the State always look upon him as their messenger in the national capital who is always ready to follow up issues of their concern.
Chief Minister of Nagaland brought to the notice of Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Minister In-charge Department of Personnel & Training , some of the issues related to deputation and placement of IAS officers in Nagaland. In response, Dr Jitendra Singh said, he will ask the Department to give due consideration to all these issues and examine what best can be done.
The Chief Minister also requested the Union Minister to follow up with the Central Government the progress of some of the other proposals of projects in Nagaland. The Union Minister in return said that his office will take due cognizance of this.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is primarily because of the high priority given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Northeast has today undergone miraculous transformation which is difficult to believe and the Northeast Model of Development is now being cited as a development model in other parts of the country as well. He said, the most striking example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priority for the Northeast is evident from the fact that in the first six years of his tenure as Prime Minister before the COVID pandemic, he had undertaken more than 50 visits to the North Eastern States, including frequent visits to the State of Nagaland. This, he said, may be more than the total number of visits undertaken by all the earlier Prime Ministers put together to the North Eastern States.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has diligently and painstakingly not only ensured all round development in Northeast but has also enabled the people of Northeast to play the mainstream role of participation in the building of nation. The result of this is that the youth from Northeast are now seen in a leading role across the country, particularly in tourism and aviation industry, while youth from other parts of the country are heading for the Northeast in search of new avenues of livelihood and Start Ups.
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Ministry of Defence
‘Dilli Series’ Sea Power Webinar - 2021 to be conducted at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala
Indian Naval Academy , Ezhimala will conduct the eighth edition of the prestigious annual ‘Dilli Series’ Sea Power Seminar on 11th and 12th of October 2021. This year, the event will be hosted in the Webinar format and will be streamed live on popular social media platforms. The theme for this year’s Webinar is ‘Maritime History of the Indian Ocean Region ’. Admiral Arun Prakash, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM , former Chief of the Naval Staff has consented to be the Chief Guest for the occasion.
This year’s Webinar is aimed to provide exposure to cadets on the maritime history of the Indian Ocean Region, under three sub themes viz, Early Maritime Interactions and Relevance Today, India's Maritime Journey – From 15th to 19th Century and Takeaways in 21st Century, and Lessons Learnt from India's Maritime Journey – British Raj to Independence and Beyond. The Webinar also features a Panel Discussion on ‘Indian Navy Through the Decades ’ steered by some of the finest maritime history experts in the country.